MINSK, 5 May (BelTA) – In an interview with Reuters, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that there are no factors now that would force him to refuse to participate in the presidential election. “As for my participation in the presidential election I have not decided yet whether I will run. Frankly speaking I am not sitting day and night weighing the pros and cons. I just do not think about it,” the head of state said. “There are no factors now that would force me to refuse to participate. There are no such factors that would signal to the people that Lukashenko should not participate in the election. I think that if I refused to participate, the people would not understand it. This is some sort of cowardice. It is either you win or lose but you run in the election. This is why I am calm about it,” the President said. Alexander Lukashenko said he did not think at what age he would step down. “The point is not about age. This is about the state of a person and his ability to ensure this or that process, to honor the commitments he undertakes. Seeing and comparing this, people will vote for or against,” he said. As for my age, I became President rather early in my life. Therefore you must have grown a bit tired of me by now. And my age is when one becomes a truly mature policy-maker, becomes elected as presidents. If younger it may be dangerous, the President said. When asked whether he harbors hopes that one of his children could eventually succeed him as president, Alexander Lukashenko said that his children have had their fill of his presidency, so he doubts they would want this. “I have no such plans, and the presidency is not inherited in this country,” the President added. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
